Dealing with Bloating? Let’s Talk About SIBO
SIBO has been a word that gets thrown around on the internet often lately. But what is it?
SIBO, or small intestinal bacterial overgrowth, is when bacteria enter the part of your intestines where they shouldn’t be. The large intestine is inhabited with millions of bacteria normally, but sometimes, the bacteria move into the small intestine and take over. There are many symptoms that can be present in SIBO. Some of the more common ones include bloating that gradually increases throughout the day (feeling like you have a balloon in your stomach by the end of the day), gas like burping or farting, pain in your stomach, and constipation or diarrhea. Many people go long periods of time with bloating and thinking this is “normal.” Trust me, you shouldn’t be bloated after every meal! Let’s get you some help.
How do Naturopathic Doctors Diagnose SIBO?
A breath test is one of the best ways to test for overgrowth of bacteria in the small intestine. This is a test that can be done at home. During this test you drink a specific liquid that comes with the kit and then every 20 minutes, you will breath into a tube, this collects gases that are produced in the gastrointestinal tract. If positive for SIBO, the results will come back showing levels of either hydrogen, methane, or both found in the tract if the cause of your bloating is in fact SIBO.
What is Treatment Like?
The treatment given depends on the results of the test. But often times, killing the bacteria is important. There are many options naturopathically and the go-to is not what you would think. Many people would assume an antibiotic would be used to kill off these bacteria, but the conventional treatment of antibiotics is pretty expensive, often costing over $1000 if insurance doesn’t cover it. Because of this, antibacterial herbs are the first step. There are many herbs that have been studied to be effective at eradicating SIBO like garlic, oregano, or peppermint. But you might be asking, what about the good bacteria?
There may be a chance these antibacterial herbs kill off the “good” bacteria in your gut during treatment and so this is why after some time on the antibacterial herbs, introduction of probiotics and probiotic rich foods can be beneficial. There are other recommendations made along the way too, with dietary changes and addressing the root cause of why the SIBO developed in the first place.
You may have heard of the FODMAP diet, this is just one of the many diets that can help in SIBO. This helps patients because the food that is often high FODMAP is highly fermented by that bacteria stuck in your small intestine (causing bloating).
Getting to the Root Cause
What caused the SIBO in the first place? There are many different root causes of SIBO and they vary depending on the person.
Motility (food not moving fast enough through your system) may be an issue due to hypothyroidism or other conditions slowing the digestive tract.
Low stomach acid can be an issue. Without acid, the pH of stomach can be too high (or basic) to kill off bacteria that ends up being ingested with food. These bacteria can travel into the small intestine and colonize there, causing SIBO.
A diet rich in carbohydrates or even diabetes can be at the root cause of SIBO as well.
Getting to the root cause is important because we can do all things to get rid of those “bad bugs”, but if the root cause isn’t addressed, there might be a relapse. And who has the time for that? Let’s be honest, being bloated all the time sucks, and it’s time to accept that this is not normal and get some relief.
